Resign or carry-on? District and principal leadership as drivers of change in teacher turnover intentions during the COVID-19 crisis: A latent growth model examination

During the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers in the United States, an already at-risk occupation group, experienced new work-related stressors, safety concerns, and work-life challenges, magnifying on-going retention concerns. Integrating the crisis management literature with the unfolding model of turnover, we theorize that leader actions trigger initial employee responses but also set the stage for on-going crisis response that influence changes in teachers' turnover intentions. We apply latent growth curve modelling to test our hypotheses based on a sample of 617 K-12 teachers using nine waves of data, including a baseline survey at the start of the 2020–2021 school year and eight follow-up surveys (2-week lags) through the Fall 2020 semester. In terms of overall adaptation, teachers on average, experienced an increase in work-life balance and a decrease in turnover intentions over the course of the semester. Results also suggest that district and school leadership provide unique and complementary resources, but leader behaviours that shape initial crisis responses do not similarly affect employee responses during crisis, contrary to theory. Instead, teachers' adaptive crisis response trajectories were triggered by continued resource provision over the semester; increasing provision of valued resources (i.e., continued refinement of safety practices) and improvements in work-life balance prevented turnover intentions from spiralling throughout the crisis. Crisis management theory and research should continue to incorporate temporal dynamics and identify factors that contribute to crisis response trajectories, using designs and analyses that allow for examination as crises unfold in real time.     

Development and Validation of a Short-Form Parenting Self-Efficacy Scale: Me as a Parent Scale (MaaPs-SF)

Journal of Child and Family Studies - Higher levels of self-reported parenting self-efficacy have been associated with positive parent–child relationships, parental mental health and child...     

Advancing measurement of work and family domain boundary characteristics

Recent research offers promising theoretical frameworks for thinking about the work–family interface in terms of the boundaries individuals develop around work and family. However, measures for important constructs proposed by these theories are needed. Using two independent samples, we report on the refinement of existing boundary flexibility measures. Additionally, inter-domain transitions are introduced as a theoretically sound conceptualization of the frequency with which the work and family domains come in contact. Results from Study 1 further support the existence of two flexibility factors, willingness and ability, for the work and family domains, respectively. Results from Study 2 provide evidence for the nomological network surrounding the flexibility and inter-domain transitions measures in relation to role centrality, perceptions of domain blurring, and family-supportive organizational perceptions. Also, as hypothesized, boundary flexibility predicted inter-domain transitions, and inter-domain transitions predicted work–family conflict, with additional support for several hypothesized mediated effects between these constructs.     

A client‐generated psychometric instrument: The development of ‘PSYCHLOPS’

PSYCHLOPS (Psychological Outcome Profiles) is a recently developed, client‐generated, psychometric instrument that can be used as an outcome measure. Based on a similar instrument developed primarily for use in physical illnesses (MYMOP — ‘Measure Your Medical Outcome Profile’), it seeks the client's perspective on their psychological distress. It asks them to describe and then score the problem that troubles them the most at the start of counselling. We describe the development of PSYCHLOPS, including the involvement of the Plain English Campaign and two national mental health organisations: the mental health charity and support group, Depression Alliance (DA) and Primary Care Mental Health Education (PRIMHE). We review the literature and suggest that PSYCHLOPS, by focusing on the problems of greatest priority to the client, might prove a sensitive measure of improvement after counselling.     

Central adiposity is associated with cardiovascular reactivity to stress in adolescents.

The current study examined the association between central adiposity, measured by waist circumference, and cardiovascular reactivity to stress among 106 White and 105 Black adolescents, approximately 50% of whom were girls. Participants engaged in 4 laboratory tasks while cardiovascular reactivity measures were taken. Independent of body mass index, race, and gender, participants with a greater waist circumference exhibited greater systolic blood pressure reactivity and diastolic blood pressure reactivity (boys only). Race did not affect the results. Results from the present study suggest that central adiposity is associated with blood pressure reactivity early in life, especially in adolescent boys.     

Performance Management: A Systematic Review of Processes in Elite Sport and Other Performance Domains

Performance management is integral for high-performing organizations and teams. The purpose of this review was to synthesize evidence on performance management across elite sport and other performance-focused domains (business, performing arts, high-risk professions). A systematic search and screening strategy was undertaken. Twenty studies satisfied the inclusion criteria. Thematic synthesis enabled the identification of key components of performance management. Similarities and differences between elite sport and other domains are identified across the following themes: strategic performance management, operational performance management, individual performance management, and leadership of the performance team. Implications for practitioners in elite sport are also considered across these themes.     

Marital status and quality in middle-aged women: Associations with levels and trajectories of cardiovascular risk factors.

The current study compared cardiovascular risk profiles and trajectories (i.e., within-person changes) of women who were married or cohabitating and who had high relationship satisfaction with those of women with moderate or low satisfaction and with those of women who were single, divorced, and widowed. Participants were 493 women from the Healthy Women Study, a prospective investigation of health during and after the menopausal transition. Risk factors were measured across more than 5 occasions and 13 years, on average. Data were analyzed using a multilevel modeling technique. Overall, women in relationships with high satisfaction had lower levels of biological, lifestyle, and psychosocial risk factors when compared with the other groups. In some cases, women in satisfying marriages also showed a lower risk trajectory on risk factors relative to other women. Hence, marriage appears to confer health benefits for women, but only when marital satisfaction is high.     

Occupation and subclinical carotid artery disease in women: are clerical workers at greater risk?

The current study examined cardiovascular risk factors and carotid atherosclerosis in 362 women (ages 42-50 years) who were working in clerical, blue-collar, or white-collar jobs or who were not employed. Risk factors were measured premenopausally and ultrasound measures of carotid atherosclerosis were obtained approximately 11 years later. Clerical and blue-collar workers had more atherogenic profiles on physical, behavioral, and psychosocial risk factors when compared with white-collar and nonemployed women. Clerical workers had greater carotid intima-media thickness relative to all other groups and more focal plaque when compared with white-collar workers. Risk factors and workplace characteristics did not account for the greater carotid atherosclerosis observed in clerical workers. Further research is needed to investigate why clerical work may increase cardiovascular risk.